Slicing machine



Nov. 6 1923.

\N. H. DONALD SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1'7.

1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l 11V VENTOR By )mzmmyv ata/6C A TTOR/VE Y Nov. 61923.

W. H. DONALD SLICING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1'7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Z"I! 0 $0 INVENTOR/ e/wwea @IM A TTORNE y Patented Nov. 6, 1923 WILLIAMH. DONALD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 01F ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK- manr "are.

A. KNOWLES, AND ONE-FOURTH TQ ALANSON A. KNOWLES, BOTH OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO.

SLICING MACHINE.

Application filed September 17, 1921. Serial No. SOLMS.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM' H. DONALD,

a Canadian subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cincinnati,in the county 5 of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Slicing Machines, of which the following is aspecification. y

My invention relates to machines for 8110- ing meat and other edibles,in general, and more particularly to the kind disclosed and claimed inmy Patent No. 1,362,855, dated December 21, 1920, upon which the presentinvention is an improvement.

Its object, like that machine, is to make such. a machine simple ofconstruction, convenient to use and to keep clean, and reliable andaccurate in operation and not readily deranged in its use or bytampering. An object peculiar to the present invention is to simplifythe device that carries the meat toward the cutting member, lighteningit and making it more sanitary. Another object is to provide a morecompact, substantial and reliable feedin device for the meat-carrier,and to simpli' the-construction, operation and management of themachine, in general, as compared with my previous invention and otherdevices for similar purposes. Other objects peculiar to the presentinvention, as well as in common with that of the patent mentioned, willappear in the course of the ensuing description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a general perspective view ofa meat-slicer embodying my invention, the View being from the front endand side thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the variable feedingmechanism;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of part of the m Fig. 4 1s a top plan view ofthe machine with the top removed to reveal the interior details, andwith partsbroken away and omitted for lack of space, and the cuttingmember being shown in forward position by dotted lines, and in sectioninits rearward position, to reveal interior details; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the machine, partly in front-to-rearlengthwise section, part of the gripper being omitted for lack of space,and part of a weighing scale being represented in receiving relation tothe machine.

The base 1 is rectangular, supporting the casing 2 of similar shape witha removable top 3 having the cutter-bar 4 along its ,front edge with aledge 5 extending down a short distance alon the casing front, andhaving a flange 6 simi arly extending down along'lts rear edge, with aclamp-screw 7 (Fig. 5) engaging the rear end of the casing, by which thetop 3 is clamped down on the casing. The upper edges of the lateralsides of the casing 2 are recessed for most of their lengths, leavingthe slots 8 under the edges of'the top '3. This to 3 is not the fullwidth of the casing, t e latter extendingtherefrom at the far side andcontaining the cutting-member actuating mechanism, which is similar tothat disclosed and claimed in my mentioned patent. sleeve 9 journaled ina bracket 10 and in the front end of the casing 2, projectin forwardfrom said end and having fixed on it the hollow arm 11 extending up andhaving the cutter shaft 12 journaled in its upper end part, preferablyin ball-bearings 13, with a bevel gear 14 fixed on this shaft betweenthe bearings and facing forwardly. A shaft 15 is journaled in the sleeve9, with a bevel gear '16 at the front end; and a shaft 17 is j'ournaled'lengthwise in the.hollow arm 11,

with the bevel gears 18 and 19 meshing, re-

spectively, with this front bevel gear 16 and the cutter-shaft bevelgear 14.

The main driving shaft 20 is journaled transversely of the casing,preferably in ball bearings 21 on the casing sides; and a bevel gear 22,fixed on this shaft 20, meshes with This comprises aa bevel pinion 23fixed onthe shaft 15 at the rear end of the sleeve 9. A spur gear 24 ismounted on this driving shaft 20, and a larger spur gear 25 is journaledin the front part of the casing 2, in mesh with the gear 24.' Preferablythese gears 24 and 25 have spiral teeth, for strength and quietness ofrunning, The collar 26, fixed on the sleeve 9 by a set screw 27, betweenthe sleeve bearings, is straddled by a yoke arm 28 having trunnionconnections with the collar 26 and projecting toward the large gear 25,with a pin 29 slidable in the yoke arm 28 and pivoted to the side of thegear 25; so that rotation of the gear 25 oscillates the collar 26,sleeve 9 and hollow arm 11. This mechanism being' clearly shown in mypatent men- ,tioned, where it is claimed, 1 dispense with novel manner.A flange 30 is fixed to the shaft 20 at the far side of the gear 24, and

a similar flange 31 slides on the shaft 20 at the near side. This shaft20 extends out through the near side of the casing 2, where it has thehand-wheel 32 fixed on it, and from the flange 31 out to this end, thisshaft 20 is hollow, with slots 33 at the inner end of this hollow part,carrying a key 34 pro- 'ecting out and engaging in notches in the lib ofthe flan e 31. A clamping-stem 35 occupies the holTow interior of theshaft'20, with its inner end abutting the key 34, and with threads 36 inthe enlarged and tapped near end of this interior, and a knurled head 37at the near end of the shaft for screwing the stem inward or outward.

The cutter 38 is a dished disk, removably I keyed on the rear end of thecutter-shaft 12, and guarded by the similarly shaped guard 39, fixed onthe arm '11 in front of the cutter and cut away at the front to exposethe disk edge of the cutter 38, which is so positioned as to passclosely along the edge of the cutter-bar 4, coacting therewithto cut themeat or other substance projected over this bar 4, as the arm 11 swingsforwardly. In the rear part of the guard 39 a grinding attachment 40 ismounted (Fig. 1) which not being in itself of my invention, but beingknown in the art, needs no detailed illustration, and may be describedas abrasive means suitably mounted to properly grind the cutting diskedge when the disk is rotated. I"

The feeding device comprises the carriage frame 41 of rectangular openformation, lying under the top 3 of the casing 2, and guided forwardlyand 'rearwardly by the guide-bar 42 having its ends fixed to the upperparts of the casing front and rear ends; lugs 43 fixed on the frame 41flanking the bar 42 at front and rear. At its front end, this frame 41has cars 44 and 45, respectively, at the far and the near side,projecting laterally past the respective edges of the up from thefar ear44, and is smooth; and

. the post 47 is similarly mounted in the near ear 45, with notches 48-on its inner side. The ears 44 and 45 project up very slightly above theplane of the upper surface of the I top 3, and the lower gripper-bar-'49 lies across on these ears, with end recesses 50 receiving the posts46and 47 loosely. The upper surface-of this bar 49 has front-to-rearcorrugations 51 from nearone end tonear the other end; and preferably itis slightly per-bar 52 has end hubs, 53 and 54 embracing the posts 46and 47, respectively,- and is hollow. In the top of its interior, thedetent-liar 55 is slidably mounted, pressed by a spring 56 to engage inthe notches 48 of the post 47, and withdrawn from these notches by ahandle-lever 57 pivoted in a slot in the top of the bar 52and projectingup under abail-like handle 58 forming part of the bar 52; the lowerinner end of this lever engaging in a notch in the detent bar 55 (Fig.3;) This upper gripper=bar 52 has downwardly projected teeth 59 at in-.

tervals across the machine, 'to enter the meat or other substanceresting on the lower gripper-bar 49, between the posts 46 and 47 thusbroadly resembling such bar in my prior patent mentioned.

In my present invention, however, I make these teeth 59 removable. forsharpening or renewal, in a convenient manner. The lower part of thefront wall of the hollow upper gripper-bar 52 has openings "60, and afastening-bar 61 (Fig. 3)' lies along on the bottom of the interior ofthe bar 52, against its front wall, with meeting lower. and rearrecesses 62. Each tooth 59, taper ing downward in its straight lowerpart, curves back and then abruptly upward in its upper part; beingslipped backward and upward through the bar opening 60, and thefastening-bar 61 being secured down on the gripper-bar bottom by thescrews 63, with the teeth 59 gripped in their curves by the walls of therecesses 62 and, of the openings 60, so that the teeth are rigidly heldto project down at the front of the upper gripperbar 52. If thefastening-bar 61 is loosened, it permits the teeth to be pulled forwardand downward 'out of the recesses 62 and openings 60; the curves beingsuch that this can be done by variously tiltin the teeth. This allowsrenewal of bent or ulled teeth.

The top surface of the removable casing top 3 preferably is made ofglazed tile or other material used for sanitary surfaces; and, as shownin Fig. 1, a shelf 64 projects forward from the bottom ofthe front endof the casing 2, under the cutter-bar 4, to

receive the slices cut from the meat or other I top 3. The post 46 isvfixed in and extends object projected over the frontend. In Fig.

5, this shelf 64 is omitted to admit the rehaving the substance moved tothe cutter in the cutting stroke; as the place of delivery of the slicesis coextensive with the cut, and not at one end thereof. By having theshelf 64, or slab of the scale, or other slice-receivin element, spaceddown from the cutting evice operating in the manner disclosed, theslices fall fiat on the receiving element, one above the other, I readyfor wrapping with a minimum of rearranging; and not curled and tangledas with slices delivered atthe end of a cut.

The rack-bar 66 is fixed on the frame 41, I with its teeth laterallyinward. The yoke 67 comprises an up r and a lower member extendingforwar y from a hub connected to' the front end of a shifter-bar 68which ex tends back'through a slot 69 in the rearend of the casing 2, tolie at one side or the other of a lug 70 projecting up from the loweredge of the slot 69.. The front end parts of the yoke members have hubsembracing an upright shaft 71 in a bracket 72 fixed to the adjacent sideof the casing 2, so that this yoke 'can swing transversely with theshifter-bar 68; and the shaft 71 also can turn in the bracket 72. Apinion-shaft 73 is j ournaled upright in the yoke members about midwayof their length; and between these members it has the largeratchet-wheel 74 fixed on it, above, and hasthe small pinion 7 5rotatable pn it, below. A lever 7 6 is' fixed to the pinion 75 andprojects back at the far side, with a pawl 77 on it springpressedagainst the teeth of the ratchetwheel 74. Above the'upper yoke member,the pinion .78 is fixed on the shaft 73, to mesh with the carriagerack-bar 66 or unmesh therefrom, accordingly as the yoke 67 is held bythe shifter-bar 68 being at the near or the far side of the lug 70. Asegment-gear 79 is fixed on the shaft7l at the front end of theyoke-67next to the lower member thereof, and meshes with the small pinion 75that carries the pawl arm 76.

' Above the upper yoke member, the drivingarm 80 is fixed on this shaft71, projecting forwardly and over toward the large spur gear 25,- whichhas a segmental cam-rib 81 on its adjacent side, sloping in both directions circumferentially from near its middle (Pig. 4;) on which cam-rim81'the drivingarm 80 has a roller 82. A spur 83 projects from the hub ofthe driving-arm SOfforwardly at the near side, with a spring 84stretched from it's end par-t forwardly to the front end of the casing2; thus holding these parts so that the roller 82 always bears towardthe gear 25 to ride inand out on the am-rib 81 as the latter passes theroller. A (letent'pawl 85 is ivoted'on the near side of the hub part ofthe yoke 67 and is springpressed against the teethof the ratchetwheel74. v p

-Above the segment-gear 7 9, under the upper yo'ke member, a hub isfixed on the shaft 71, with a controlling-spur 86 projected forwardly.The controlling shaft 87 is journaled in the upper part of the adjacentside of the casing 2, near the front end thereof, in a. suitable bearinghub attached to the easing side, and outside the casing adial-plate 88is fixed to the casing side around this shaft 87, and a knob having acoacting dialplate 89 is fixed on the shaft to bear in against the fixeddial-plate 88. On theinner end of this shaft 87 is fixed the controllingcam 90, which is cylindrical with a flange around it having a lateralface receiving the end of the controlling spur 86 under the tension ofthe spring 84 attached to the spur 83 on the arm 80 on the same shaftwith this controlling-spur 86. This lateral face of the cam flangefollows a helix around the cam. A spring. 91 around the shaft .87 iscompressed between the adjacent ends of the cam and the bearing hub inwhich the shaft is journaled, holding the shaft 87 and connected partsinward with the dial plates 88 and 89 in firm frictional contact.Graduations on the dial-platesserve to'indicate various adjustments madeby turning the shaft 87 and cam 90, resenting more or less prominentparts of the helical face of th cam'flange to the spur 86. I 4

0pemti0n.The body of substance, as meat, to be sliced is placed on thelower gripper-bar 49 between the posts 46 and 47 while the uppergripper-bar 52 is raised by grasping the handle-lever 57 along with thebar handle 58,- releasing the detent-ba'r 55 from the post notches 48.Then this upper bar 52 is pressed down, its teeth 59 enters thesubstance, and the detent-bar 55engages in one of the post notches 48,holding the substance firmly against lateral movement by the engagementof these teeth 59 above and of the corrugations 51 of the lower bar 49below. This will be done with the feedally, swinging the yoke 67 tounmesh the pinion7 8 from the rack-bar 66 and moving the feeding devicebackward by grasping substance, as the piece of meat, rests on the top 3to therear of. the gripping device; and as the gripping and feedingdevice travels forward, drags on this top. This dispenses with the.table of my prior patent for carrying. the substance, minimizingtheweight of the traveling parts and the surfaces to be kept clean.

of the feeding device can be efiected manm- "the handle 58 thereof. Therear part of the the stem 35 being screwed in tightly by its.

knob or head 37 at the center'of the handwheel 32, the pinion 78 ismeshed with the rack-bar 66 to feed/the substance forward, and the smallspur gear 24 is clamped tigh lybetween the two flanges 3.0 and 31 on theI'lVlIlg shaft 20, to drive the large spur gear and thus oscillate thecutter arm 11 by means of the yoke arm 28, and oscillate the feedingmechanism parts by means of the cam-rib 81.

The hand-wheel 32 is turned overbackwardly, rotating the large spur ear25 forwardly; and as the pivotal connection of the yoke-arm 28 reachesthe highest position the arm 11 and cutting disk 38, which is beingrotated rapidly over and downwardly past the cutter-bar 4, reaches itsfarthest withdrawn osition, the cam-rib 81 has been carried by t e gear25 against the roller of the driving-arm 80, actin against the tensionof the spring 84 an through the medium of the "shaft 71, segment-gear79,

pinion 75, lever 76 and pawl 77 to turn the ratchet-wheel 74, whichturns the pinion 78, acting on the rack-bar 66 to advance thecarrage-frame 41 forwardly. Then as the gear 25 continues to rotate,carrying the cam-rib 81 past the roller 82, the spring 84- pulls theparts back for the pawl 77 to .engage with less advanced ratchet-wheelteeth; while the yoke-arm 28, carried forward and downward, swin s thearm 11 and rapidly rotated cutting-disk 38 along the cutter-bar 4through the meat or. other substance just fed forward thereover, slicingOR the projected part, to fall flatwise on the shelf 64 (Fig. 1) or onthe receiving slab of the weighing-scale 65 (Fig. 5).

If the controlling-cam 90 was set so that a more prominent part of itshelical flange face was opposite the controllin spur 86, this spurengaging this face wifi prevent, through the medium of the shaft 71, thereturn of the driving-arm toward the gear 25 in. proportion to theprominence of this part of the cam 90, and consequently the pawl 77will, through the operative connectioris with the arm 80, be preventedfrom traveling back over teeth of the ratchetwheel 74 in likeproportion. Thus, the less prominent part of the cam presented towardthe spur 86, the greater will be the ratchet return and the greater willbe the ratchet feed when the cam-rib 81 passes against the roller 82,usin more or less of the projection of this cam-rib 81-as driving 'todisconnect it. the user can render the machme inoperativeout osci lationthereof and means accordingly as less or more prominence of thecontrollin cam 90 is permittedholds the controllin means in its adjustedposition, against accidental displacement or tampering, asby children instores, better than the device of that patent.

' The clamping-stem 35 may be used to render the mach ne inconvenientfor unauthorized use, b loosening it, upon which turning the han -wheel32 only will rotate the cutting disk 38, but will not swing it,

and will not operate the ..feeding device, be- I cause the smallspurgear 24 will be unclamped from the driving shaft 20 and will notturn the large spur gear 25 as is necessary to operate the arm 11 andthe feeding mechanism. In my prior patent, the releasing means is insidethe casing of the machine and is a positive clutch held b a setscrew,requiring removal of the caslng top By my present invention,

after each use, simpl by turning a knob at the handwheel. when. thecutting disk 38 is to be round, as by the grinding means 40, thisreFease by means of the clampin stem 35 ermits rotation of the disk 38within the feeding device.

uiding the feeding carrier bv thebar 42 and limiting the extent of thecarrier above the casing top 3 to a minor extent of this top withoutoperatavoids extensions along the sides of the top except the cars 44and 45 and their posts 46 and 47; thus making it very easy to keep thetop clean, as well as affording a better" guidance than with engagingmeans along the top edge, as in my prior patent. The raek-and-pinionfeed is adapted to be formed more accurately than is the highly pitchedscrew feed of the grior device; and the more accurately gui ing barfacilities the use of this improved feed. Also, nearly all of the feedmechanism is carried on theyoke 67, and not dispersed throughout thecasing as in the prior invention. The mechanism thus is more reliable onaccount of being mounted on asingle mounting; and is more readilyaccessible, as it can be removed as a unit, on this yoke, leaving theother mechanisms fully accessible, after the casing top 3 but variationswill occur under difi erent con-' ditions and in difierent types ofmachines.

Therefore, while certain constructional details are deemed preferable'inconnection with my invention, and I have shown and described theserather specifically in elucidating the construction and use of myinvention, as is required, I do not wish to be understood as beinglimited to such precise showing and description, but having thus fullydescribed -my invention, what I claim as new and deslre to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In combination with a stationary support, a cutter,and cutting mechanism, a carrier, a guide-bar fixed on said support,means on said carrier guidingly engagin with said guide-bar, a rackfixed on said carrier, a yoke on said support, a pinion mounted on saidyoke and meshing with said rack, feeding mechanism operatively relatedto said cutting mechanism and said pinion, and means on sald carrierextending across a-minor part of said support, to engage an. object anddrag said object along said support toward said cutter, said object'meets said cutter.

2. In combination with a stationary supwhereby port, a cutter, andcutting -mechanism, a

carrier, a guide-bar fixed on said support, means on said carrierguidingly engagin with said guide-bar, a rack fixed on said carrier, ayoke on said support, a pinion mounted on said yoke and meshing withsaid rack, and feeding mechanism operatively related to said cuttingmechanlsm and said pinion.

3. In combination with a stationary support, a cutter, a cuttingmechanism, a carrier, a rack fixed on said carrier, a yoke on saidsupport, a pinion mounted on said yoke and meshing with said rack, andfeeding mechanism operatively related to said cutting mechanism and saidpinion.

4. In combination with a stationary sup port, acutter, and cuttingmechanism, a carrier, a rack fixed on said carrier, a yoke pivoted onsaid support,a pinion mounted on sai? yoke and meshing with said rack orunmes ing from said rack upon swinging-of said yoke, and feedingmechanism operatlve- 1y related to said cutting mechanism and Saidinion. t

5. n combination with a stationary support, a cutter, and cuttin'mechanism, a carrier, a rack fixed on sai supported on said support andmeshing with said rack, feeding mechanism operatively related to saidcutting mechanism and said pinion, and means for varying the operativerelation of said feeding mechanism to said cutting mechanism.

6. In combination with a stationa support, a rotatable cutter mechanismor rotating said cutter, a carrier, mecha'nism for causingrelativeeutting movement of said cutter and said carrier, feedingmechanism carrier, a pinion.

.said yoke, a pawl causlng relative cutting movement of said cutter andsaid carrier, feed ng mechanism for feeding said carrier toward saidcutter, a handwheel operatively related to said cut. ter-rotatingmechanism, and means accessible at said handwheel for operativelyrelating said handwheel to said feeding mech'- anism and to saidmechanism for causing said relative cutting movement.

8. In combination with-a stationary support, a cutter, and cuttingmechanism, a carrier, feeding mechanism operatively related to saidcutting mechanism and said carrier, and a controlling-cam rotatablymounted on said support and engaging a part of said feeding mechanism tovary the feeding of said carrier.

9. In combination with a stationary-support, a cutter, and cuttingmechanism, a carrier, feeding mechanism operatively related to; saidcutting mechanism and said carrier, a controlling-cam rotatably mountedon said support and engaging a part of said feeding mechanism to varythe feeding 'of said carrier, an element fixed to said support, 1 2 anelement connected to said contr0lling-' cam, and means holding saidelements in frictional contact to hold said controllingcam in variousfeed-controlling adjustments.

10. In combination with a stationary sup- 105 port, a cutter, andcutting mechanism, a

' carrier, a rack fixed on said carrier, a yoke on'said support, apinion mounted on said yoke and meshing with said rack, a ratchetwheelcoaxially fixed to said pinion, a pawl engaging with said ratchet-wheel,and feeding. mechanism operatively related to said cutting mechanism andsaid pawl.

11. In combination with a stationary support, a cutter, and cuttingmechanism, a warriena rack fixed on said carrier, a yoke on saidsupport, a pinion mounted on said yoke and meshing with said rack, aratchetwheel coaxially fixed to said pinlon, a lever and a gear fixedtogether and pivoted n on said lever engaging with said ratchet-wheel, asegment-gear pivoted on said yoke andmeshing with said gear, an armfixed to said segment-gear, a cam rotated 'by said cutting mechanism,and a spring holding said arm toward said cam.

12. In combination with a stationary support, a cutter, and cuttingmiechanism, a carrier, a rack fixed on said carrler, a yoke on saidsupport, a pinion mounted on said 3 wheel coaxially fixed to saidpinion, a lever and a gear fixed together and pivoted on said yoke, apawl on said lever engaging with said ratchet wheel, a segment-gearpivoted on said yoke and meshing with said gear, an arm fixed to saidsegment-gear, a cam rotated by said cutting mechanism, a spring holdingsaid arm toward said cam, a controllingspur fixed to said am, -acontrolling-cam journaled 'on said support for rotation to variablyengage said spur, and frictio-nally contacting elements on said supportand turning with said cam, respectively, to hold said cam in-v-ariousstages of rotation.

13. In combination with a stationary suport, a rotatable cutter,mechanism for rota-t ing said cutter, a carrier, mechanism for causingrelative cutting movement of said cutter and said carrier,feedingmechanism for feeding said carrier toward said cutter, a drivingshaft having an end outside said support, and having a hollow interioropening through said end and a slot opening from said interior insidesaid support, a gear loose on said shaft, clamping means on said shaftto clamp said gear to said shaft, said gear being operatively related tosaid cutting'and feeding mechanisms to drive said mechanisms when thusclamped, a clamping-stem screwed into said hollow interior andaccessible for turning at said shaft end, means exoke and meshing withsaid rack, a ratchettending out through said slot, engaged by said stem,to clamp said clamping means, and an operative connection from saiddriving shaft to said cutter, to rotate said cutter independently of theclamping of said gear.

14. In combination with a stationary support, a carrier on said suppont,an arm swinging on said support across said carrier, a rotatable cutteron said arm, a bevel gear co-axially fixed to said cutter, a shaftcoaxial to the swinging of said arm but rota-table independentlythereof, a shaft journaled along said arm, bevel gears fixed on therespective shafts and. meshing together, a bevel gear fixed on saidshaft journaled along said arm, meshing with said bevel gear fixed tosaid cutter, mechanism for rotating said shaft coaxial to said swingingof said arm, and mechanism for feeding. said carrier toward saidswinging arm and cutter.

15. In a device of the character-described, a stationary support, acutter, acarrier, a removable top' for said support having engagingmeans extending down along opposite ends of said support, a clampingscrew in one of said engaging means, bearing against the adjacent end ofsaid support, and mechanism for operating said cutter and said carrier,in said support and under said removable top.

WILLIAM H. DONALD.

